Merck Scraps COVID Vaccines for Human Immunity!, 3483

Merck, the 6th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, has scrapped the development of two COVID-19 vaccine candidates because, although they were generally well tolerated, the immune responses were inferior to those seen following natural infection - and those reported for other SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines!
In other words, the body’s natural immune response after contracting COVID was superior to that provided by the vaccine, and Merck seems to be claiming that the results reported for other vaccines is similar.
The decision follows Merck's review of findings from phase one clinical trials for their two vaccine candidates, V 590 and V 591.
“We are grateful to our collaborators who worked with us on these vaccine candidates and to the volunteers in the trials,” said Dr. Dean Y. Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories. “We are resolute in our commitment to contribute to the global effort to relieve the burden of this pandemic on patients, health care systems and communities.”
Merck has decided to focus on two therapeutics for COVID-19.
The first one of these is called MK- 7110, a potentially first-in-class investigational recombinant fusion protein that modulates the inflammatory response two SARS dash Co V-2. Interim results from a Phase three study showed a greater than 50% reduction in the risk of death or respiratory failure in patients hospitalised with moderate to severe COVID-19.
The second therapeutic drug that Merck as high hopes for is called Mol-nu-piravir, an oral antiviral agent being developed in collaboration with Ridgeback bio. Merck has yet to reveal the efficacy of this product, but obviously initial results must look promising.